Mirror Of My Life
Last Thursday Lazy Daisy made her Thursday Thirteen list on things she wished she had learned earlier in life. The first thing she listed was to learn from other's mistakes because we don't have TIME to make them all ourselves! Daisy's list reminded me of a poem I had written back when my eldest was graduating high school and setting out into the "real" world. She was a bit bull-headed ... she still is. She comes by it naturally.... as you will see from my poem...Mirror Of My Life
by Melli Lantz
SHE walks along behind me
Taking the very same steps I took
Like a shadow of my past
It pains me just to look
Even this, I once did too
(followed the footsteps of someone I knew
making the same mistakes they made)
When I was just her age
If I held up a mirror for her to see
I'm afraid the reflection she'd see would be me
Why, when she reaches that fork in the road,
does she go the same way that I went long ago?
Didn't I tell her that path would be brutal?
Must the mistakes of the Mother always be futile?
If only she'd slip - miss just one step of mine
Forge a new path, a new direction
in time
She'd reject my unwarranted protection
Err, though, she must - and so we all do
She'll learn from her own - but can't she learn from mine too?
Most of the lessons I've learned in my life
as a result of my errors and personal strife
have only been realized too late for myself
But my daughter has time to use them herself!
If only she could accept without hesitation
Those lessons learned by a previous generation
by Melli Lantz
SHE walks along behind me
Taking the very same steps I took
Like a shadow of my past
It pains me just to look
Even this, I once did too
(followed the footsteps of someone I knew
making the same mistakes they made)
When I was just her age
If I held up a mirror for her to see
I'm afraid the reflection she'd see would be me
Why, when she reaches that fork in the road,
does she go the same way that I went long ago?
Didn't I tell her that path would be brutal?
Must the mistakes of the Mother always be futile?
If only she'd slip - miss just one step of mine
Forge a new path, a new direction
in time
She'd reject my unwarranted protection
Err, though, she must - and so we all do
She'll learn from her own - but can't she learn from mine too?
Most of the lessons I've learned in my life
as a result of my errors and personal strife
have only been realized too late for myself
But my daughter has time to use them herself!
If only she could accept without hesitation
Those lessons learned by a previous generation
Well... unfortunately there is a lot stylizing in the "form" in which I wrote this that just won't "hold" in the blog! So I just centered it... but you get the general idea.... This is actually one of my favorite poems I've written... I'm glad Daisy reminded me to share it with you.
posted by Melli at
5:48 AM
17 comment(s):
Well....Melli, I see you are awake too....You must be a night owl like me.Thanks for sharing your poem and your heart.I hope to meet you one day.You and Sandy were my inspiration to return to church and make peace with the lord...... Baba
By
Baba, at
4/16/2007 5:35 AM
I love this poem. It truly speaks to what I feel as a mother. Wonderful.
By
Twisted Cinderella, at
4/16/2007 8:08 AM
Now if only our children would see the red flags or flares we've set up to mark the diasters areas and avoid them. They are at least "prayed up" for today. Love ya babe!
By
Lazy Daisy, at
4/16/2007 8:49 AM
Lovely, Melli. And some day this will be your daughter's wish for her daughter!
By
Anonymous, at
4/16/2007 9:44 AM
Amen! Don't all parents hope their children will not have to learn from the same mistakes we made.....but sometimes that just doesn't happen.
Beautiful poem!
By
Jane, at
4/16/2007 12:15 PM
WOW!! I know a POET!! My I am so amazed!! You do so many things!! What a well rounded woman you are!! I am so glad that I have been able to get to know you not only on here but in person too!! I know that we are mothers do not want our children to follow us down that "wrong path" but they do anyway. That is the sin nature that we as humans just have in us. I have been so learning that in my bible studies even though I already know it. Children teach you a lot don't they? Sandy
By
Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess, at
4/16/2007 2:37 PM
Maybe you should join the Poetry Thursday group too! I really liked this, and I think a lot of us feel this way. If only we could learn from others mistakes.
My MM is about prom dresses.
By
Norma, at
4/16/2007 6:24 PM
What a great poem Melli, I am really impressed.
It must be heartbreaking to your kids making avoidable mistakes.
If they are like you though Melli, they will have a life to be proud of.
By
Unknown, at
4/16/2007 8:06 PM
Splendid poem Melli! That was neat how your were able to put into verse what was on your mind.
What did your daughter think of it, dare I ask?
By
Irish Church Lady :), at
4/16/2007 9:45 PM
Nicely done Melli. I too wish my children had learned from my mistakes. I've found myself wishing I hadn't told them because they just turned around and did the same thing. Thank God for prayer!
Blessings to you today, Melli.
By
Unknown, at
4/17/2007 9:12 AM
Bravo ! and compliments Melli ! this is a real good poeme and also very true ! You can talk to your children until your tongue is dry and your cheakbones hurt, there is nothing to do they have to make their own mistakes. And honestly I never listened to my mother either. Once she told me "you make the same mistakes as your aunt" (her sister) I found my aunt wonderful and admired her, but now looking back, I realized that she had said the truth. Only in my view it had not been really mistakes. Finally I had a lot of luck in my life.
By
Ingrid, at
4/17/2007 11:23 AM
I'm glad you shared it. I enjoyed reading it. Why can't we ever convince others that we're right? :)
By
Carmen, at
4/17/2007 11:28 AM
It is a very wonderful poem, my dear....But I have one question for you? Did you learn from your mother's mistakes? (LOL) Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could have learned from our mother's mistake or miss-steps....! But, we each have to make our own missteps, as you so aptly wrote....!
By
OldLady Of The Hills, at
4/17/2007 1:54 PM
So true and well written.
By
PJ, at
4/17/2007 5:43 PM
Wow...it's beautiful, Melli. You're right, we do miss the opportunities to learn from the generations before us.
Hugs.
:-) Susan
By
Susan, at
4/17/2007 9:26 PM
Thank you so much for sharing that beautiful poem. It's not until we are older that we realize our parents really did know what they were talking about. I now know my parents were not trying to make me "miss out on stuff" they were trying to save me from the pain they could see me causing myself.
By
Melanie, at
4/18/2007 10:37 AM
A brief note to let you know that you are very bloody good at this poetry thing! To learn from other people's mistakes... a compelling story of truth that goes into the detail & explanation of the mistake rather than focusing on the statement of why certain things ought not to be done often works for me. I know how much my parents struggled with it and i have no idea of how difficult it will be for me as my son grows up. My only hope is that he'll have enough friends & other adult role models to test his boundaries, values & beliefs with.
By
Anonymous, at
4/19/2007 8:39 AM
Post a comment
<< Home